Friday, June 17, 2016

What is Black in the Black Sea?

Can a Person Swim in the Black Sea?

First! Where is the Black Sea?

Today, June 18, 2016, we are headed to Constanta located on the Black Sea. Constanta traces its history some 2,500 years.

Bus ride from Bucharest to Constanta

Legend has it that Jason landed here with the Argonauts after finding the Golden Fleece. Fine mansions and hotels were built in the 19th century when King Carol I deduced to revive Constanta as a port and seaside resort. Constanta is the fourth largest port in Europe, ranked after Rotterdam, Antwerp and Marseille.

A lovely town with a great history. Roman ruins discovered and carefully preserved, Marvelous beaches, nothing black about their beaches....lovely. Story of the Black Sea is the black sand (we did not see any) or that the Turks used color as directional id's and black was the color of north (more feasible).

We had lunch at a great resort, Mamaia, Hotel Iaki and walked to the beach, to get our toes in the Black Sea! YAY!!!!

From Constanta, we traveled back to Cernavoda to our riverboat the MS Treasures on the Danube River.

Bus ride from Black Sea (Constanta) to Cernavoda (to board ship)

Cernavoda had a large nuclear power plant with two reactors, each of the CANDU type of Canadian design. The plant provides over 15% of Romania's power.

Today Becky and Beth wave hello to Tanya Kolchyk who is across the Black Sea in Crimea visiting her family.

MS TREASURES

Our ship/home til June 27

We are sooooo happy to finally be on the boat! It is precious! Only 77 guests are on board. Our room is beautiful, spacious, and well appointed. A bath tub!!! A walk in closet!!!! All drinks are free!!!! Life is wonderful.....